October 9, 2017

On October 4th, Senator Dianne Feinstein and a number of Democrats introduced the Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act, a bill to close a loophole that allows semi-automatic weapons to be easily modified to fire at the rate of automatic weapons (which have been illegal for more than 30 years). This is also being referred to as banning the “bump stock”, the firearm accessory that the Las Vegas gunman used to modify his rifles to fire as fast as automatic weapons. On 10/5, the NRA even released a statement saying it supports potential new regulations on bump stocks.

Yes, this act is a small step in the direction many Democrats would like to go. And we should also remain suspicious against the NRA’s statements on bump stocks. But as Mark Kelly, co-founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions said, “It is an acknowledgment by the Republicans that a law does matter — that laws matter, period.” The Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act doesn’t go far enough, but it’s a rare opportunity for some immediate bipartisan support on gun control, and all-of-us must support it.

Here’s how:

Call your senators and ask them to support the Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act.

“Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [___________]. I’m contacting you to ask you to vote for the Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act. Even the NRA agrees that bump stocks should be regulated. Need I say more? It is time to realize that laws matter and we must begin passing sensible laws to protect mass shootings like the one in Las Vegas.”